![Shawn Merriman (left) on Dana White (right) almost booking him for a UFC fight [Image courtesy: Getty Images]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/06/18952-17180786071921-1920.jpg)
![Shawn Merriman (left) on Dana White (right) almost booking him for a UFC fight [Image courtesy: Getty Images]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAM1iCv/EAB8QAAICAgIDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAECAxEEBQAUEhMhIv/aAAgBAQABPwDZ7baY/XwB0xkesZSypHVNII3F3d0PnE2s7IpmSFpCP03gPp5//8QAFREBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQD/2gAIAQIBAT8AG//EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACMf/aAAgBAwEBPwBqf//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Former NFL star Shawne Merriman recently opened up about almost featuring in the UFC as a fighter. Merriman also revealed that Dana White had an offer on the table for his octagon debut against Greg Hardy, another ex-NFL star who fought in the UFC after his football career concluded.
The former San Diego Chargers linebacker retired from professional football in March 2013 after eight seasons in the NFL. In the aftermath, Merriman joined the WWE as a pre-show analyst for a short period. In April 2019, he announced that he had started his own MMA promotion, Lights Out Xtreme Fighting.
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During a recent interview with Jon Anik and Kenny Florian, Merriman claimed that he was almost booked for a UFC fight against Hardy a few years ago. Expressing his passion for fighting, he said:
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"About five or six years ago, nobody was going to tell me that I wasn't going to go fight somebody. You can take me outside the back alley by the trash can, and I'm fighting somebody. I had the mentality, that it was going down. The fact is, I talked to Dana about it, he wanted to put together a fight with me and Greg Hardy. A few years ago... I know he wanted it to happen."
Catch Shawne Merriman's comments below (35:38):
Shawne Merriman outlines the goals he wants to achieve with Lights Out Xtreme Fighting
Last year, Shawne Merriman opened up about his MMA promotion and spoke about some of the goals he wants to achieve. The former NFL star stated that he wished to see mixed martial arts grow and wanted to provide a platform for budding talent.
During an interview with MMA Junkie in June 2023, the former San Diego Chargers linebacker spoke about starting Lights Out Xtreme Fighting and what he hoped to achieve as an MMA promoter. He said:
"We’ve got great fighters, great product – the fans come out. We just want to continue to give these up-and-coming guys a place to be seen... We want to be one of the quality ones... It was time for me to launch my own promotion, my own league, to concentrate on some of these former athletes and get them to transition over to MMA. It’s going to happen. I’ve been saying it for the last eight years." [H/T MMAJunkie.usatoday.com]
Watch Shawne Merriman's full interview below:
